Electric lantern for vehicles.



L. E. HOOVER.

ELECTRIC LANTERN POR VEHICLES.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. zo, 1913.

1,096,534, Patened May 12, 1914.

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.fwf My N y away. Fig. 3 is a perspective of the buggy verative position. In this figure the lantern,

able sheet metal, slightly conical, and open LUTHER E. HOOVER, F WOOSTER, OHIO.

ELECTRIC LANTERN son IVIEHICLES..

1,096,534. Specification of Application meu March 2o,

Letters Patent Patented May 12, 1914. 1913. semi No. 755,772.

To all 'whom 'it 'may concern:

lle it known that I, LUTHER E. Hoeven, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVooster, in the county of lVayne and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Electric Lantern for Vehicles, .of which the following is a specification. 1

My invention relates to electric lantern for vehicles, especially for use with top-buggies or carriages. Its object is to provide a simple and inexpensive eledtric lantern adapted to be detachably secured to the front bow of a buggy top and in such manner as to be readily adjustable so as to direct the rays of light therefrom in any` desired direction, and secondly, to provide improved means for constructing such lantern so as to shield the electric bulb and increase the efficiency of the reflector.,

It consists of the several novel devices hereinafter particularly described and illustrated and stated in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters` and figures of reference indicate like parts.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional and side view of my lanternin opthe bow of the buggy top, and one of the hollow clamping forks are shown in section. Fig. 2 is a front view of my device with a part of the bow of the buggy top broken top showing the lantern in position for use. In the drawings, 1 is the body portion of the lantern which is constructed of any suitat its larger end: 2 isa circular reflector mounted within the lantern body so as to be removable therefrom at pleasure; 8 is a conical shaped block fitted into the smaller end of the lantern body and there secured by suitable screws u u; 9 isa cross-section'of ar circular plate of non-conducting material' and 7 is an elect-ric bulb and 10, electric wires, such as are commonly used for electric lighting. y

The plate or block l1s preferably made of porcelain; it is provided` with a threaded socket into which the stem of the bulb 7 is y threaded, as shown in Fig. nl. to establish electrical connections with. the battery wires 10, in the usual and well known way; a neck 16 extends upwardly from said plate 9 thereby extending said socket and at its terminus,

forming a'base whereon the reflector 2 is located, and the latter is perforated to register with said socket; the bulb? is provided with a fiange immediately above said threaded stem adapted to rest u on and solidly secure said reflector in position between said flange and neck within said lantern body when said bulb is screwed into its normal position in said socket as aforesaid. I am aware that removable reflectors for similar uses have been heretofore used, and such I do not broadly claim. My improvement in this respect lies in securing the reflector in position independently of the lantern body and of the electrical connections so as to be more readily and inexpensively adjusted and secured than heretofer, and also to provide more easy access to the electric wire connectionslupon the plate 9 by simply unscrewing said bulb from said socket; and alsov to provide means for securing the support A by the plate B and bolts l1 to the lantern body and electrical mechanism aforesaid, all of which I accomplish by securing` said reflector as stated i11- dependently of the lantern body and the said electrical connections.

For convenience the battery may be located in the usual box under the buggy seat, or it may be inclosed in any suitable receptacle and stored within the buggy box; the electric Wires leading, therefrom to the lantern may be attached along the bow 12 of the buggy top, and thence pass through an crice ofthe lantern body to the electric poles which are Ilocated underneath the reflector.2 as shown in Fig. 2.

' Electric Vconnections or circuit being established by the insertion of the bulb 7 as aforesaid. the electric current may be turned on and 'ofi' by means of a knob or key situate at any suitable point between the lantern and 4 battery in the usual well known way. The

batteries Iemploy for the purpose, are of the dry'variety in common use, and may be -either single or double according to -the power required; and, as no claim is made by :ne to these well known features used in electric lighting, further description of the same is unnecessary.

For the purpose of adj ust-ably and detachably securmg my lantern to the top of a buggy, I construct the bifurcated support A having a flat base portion B to which the lantern body is securely attached by means of suitable bolts b b which pass through block 8 and plate 9, as shown in I"ig. l,

thereby fastening the parts solidly together. The support A extends at right angles outwardly from the lantern lady i a distance sutlicient to forni a convenient handle for carrying the lantern when detached from the buggy. It is forked at its outer end` Vthe forks 3 3 being made thin and fiat andi resilient near their junction. The under sides of their outer ends 5 5, respectively, are hollowed and fitted to receive and engage a metallic ball 4, which is provided with a threaded screw 6 whereby it. may be secured tothe upper portion et the bow 11, as shown in Fig. l. A threaded thumb screw s passes through the forks 3 3, affording` means for adjusting' or detachinn` the support A upon the ball 4.

It is apparent that by means of the biall and double socket connection. the lantern body may be solidly secured to the buggy top, adjusted to any desired angle or direction, as indicated by the arrows o el, so as to direct the rays of light from the lantern retiector to suit the needs of the driver of the carriage, either while dri\f*ing, or when making examination of team, road or carriage in time of darkness. The lantern body be ing extended forwardly beyond the electric bulb, not only protects the same but also tends to @concentrate the rays of light in the (Q'iven diretion, and thus, by the several means described, a very useful and convenient lantern is provided, suited to the many needs of carriage driving in darkness.

I am aware that the use of a ball and socket joint and connection is not new, and such I do not specifically claim. But I am not aware that such has been used in connection with an arm support. such as shown at A', adapted to form a handle for carrying the lantern when dctachedsaid handle terminating' at one end in a tlat base to which the lantern body is solidly secured as aforesaith and at the other, in rounded forked terminals suitable for easy handling ot' said lantern when detached, andl also for adjustably securingthe same in position as aforesaid.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I ("laini as new and desire to secure byV Letters Patent isw l. In an electric lantern, the'combination with the lantern body, electric wires connected therewith, and a flat base projected out-- wardly therefrom as a handle, of a non-conductor plate within said body provided with a threaded neck socket and means for establishingelectrical connections, a concave re iiector removably mounted on said neck and apertured to register with said socket, an electric bulb adapted to be threaded into said neck-socket to thereby establish electric circuit between said wires, said bulb having a flange at its base adapted to rest upon and secure said reflector removably within said lantern body, and means for securing said plate and said body to said base,substan tially as set forth.

2. An electric lantern, comprising, in combination with a lantern body, electric wires connected therewith, a non-conductor plate having,` a projecting neck with threaded socket therein and electrical connections, an electric bulb having; a circular flange at its base and a stem adapted to be screwed into said neck socket to circuit said Wires, a concave reflector within saidlantern body Mannen Louer-L 

